The Presidential debate organisers have announced that the planned event set for July 10 will proceed as planned.
The decision was made a few hour after President Uhuru Kenyatta quit the debate over lack of consultation while NASA candidate Raila Odinga did the same citing the format to be used.
According to a press release by Debates Media Limited which has organised the forum, preparations for the event to be held at the Catholic University of Eastern Afric had been completed.
The Chairman of the Steering Committee on the debates, Wachira Waruru. denied claims that the participants had not been consulted regarding the rules of engagement and the dates.
Waruru explained that members of the Committee had been in constant communication with the presidential campaign teams and had even invited them for a briefing.
“The guidelines including the format of the debates were not only communicated to the various campaign teams but were also published on the broadcast, print and online platforms of the participating media houses. Last week, all the presidential campaign teams were invited for a pre-debate briefing in line with our guidelines,” read a statement from Waruru.
The organisers further added that they would reach out to the presidential candidates' teams to clarify the guidelines and answer any questions regarding the formats to be used.
They further assured commitment to provide the best platforms for the candidates to articulate their visions for the country and to help citizens make informed decisions before the August election.
Earlier Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju claimed that his team had not been involved in the planning and the dates for the debates were set without any consultations.
Here is the statement:
